Marriage Equality, Gender Equality, and the Women's Convention

This article concerns the intersecting topics of gender equality and marriage equality. It argues that in modern marriages, gender equality is a right which is why it should be pursued as a public goal and not left up to private parties to navigate. Current marriage and employment laws in the United States cannot assure gender equality, so parties should seek confirmation of these rights from the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW). True gender equality in marriage would mean solving the work/family conflict and assuring that mechanisms like parental leave are available to working parents.